Suspect sought in woman’s slaying

Keith Paul

Thursday, Dec. 16, 1999 | 11:51 a.m.

Metro Police continued searching today for a 41-year-old convicted robber in connection with the bludgeoning death of a 79-year-old woman.

Homicide unit Lt. Wayne Petersen said detectives have probable cause to arrest Anthony "Tony" Dotson in connection with the Monday slaying of Doris Bair in her home on the 1400 block of Bracken Avenue.

Dotson, who was sentenced to 12 years in prison for a 1987 robbery conviction in Los Angeles County, Calif., is believed to be living on Las Vegas' streets, Petersen said.

Police don't believe Dotson has the means the get out of town. He was known to stay in the downtown area.

Police would only say they have a cooperating witnesses that led them to their search for Dotson.

Bair's next-door neighbors called police Monday afternoon after they hadn't seen her for a couple of days. Police found Bair dead on the floor of the house she had lived in for 50 years.

An autopsy determined Bair died from several blows to the head and most likely died sometime Sunday. Several items were taken from her home including her car. Police found the car, a 1991 white Mercury, in the downtown area Tuesday.

Detectives found signs of a struggle inside Bair's home, but no signs of how the killer got into the house.

Bair called police Friday to report a prowler. A man apparently rang her door bell and when she didn't open the door, the man went to the back door and knocked. A few moments later the lights in her house went off, but the man didn't enter the house.

An officer Friday found the circuit breakers in the outside electric box had been switched off. The officer switched the power back and put a padlock on the box for Bair, Petersen said.

Police are unsure if the prowler is connected to Bair's killing.

Dotson is described as a light-skinned black male, 5 feet 8 inches to 5 feet 9 inches tall, about 240 pounds with a thin mustache, short hair and balding. He was last seen wearing a gray and brown plaid jacket, a maroon hooded sweatshirt, a white T-shirt, raggedy blue jeans and white tennis shoes.

Bair's slaying is the 110th homicide in Metro's jurisdiction so far this year as compared with 119 at the same time last year. There was a total of 124 homicides in Metro's jurisdiction in 1998.

Anyone with information about Dotson or in this case is asked to call Secret Witness at 385-5555 or Metro Police.